"Woe to me if I preach not the gospel."

​At Christmas time we remember the good news of the Savior's birth. He entered the world to bring salvation to men.

But our appreciation of Christ will be more fully attuned when we remember that His incarnation was anything but glorious. The Son of God's entrance into the world was part of his humiliation and thus very "inglorious." We can only appreciate the work of the Savior when we see his incarnation in this light.

Consider the depths to which he did descend to bring you salvation:

1. He left his Father - Prior to the incarnation the Son dwelt in the bosom of the Father, wherein he enjoyed perfect love, joy, and blessing. His leaving this sweet realm marks his first step into hell (for hell is separation from God). What pain it is for us to leave home and part with human parents! How infinitely greater was the pain of Christ in relinquishing the enchanting place of the Father's presence!

2. He was born - He who was very God of very God took upon himself the very flesh He did create. He created man in His own image, but then took the image of man himself. And while this cannot expressly be said to be part of his 'humiliation" (for he retains his human nature now in his exaltation), it is a superb act of condescension on his part.

3. He was born into severe conditions - Christ was not only born into abject poverty, but his birth suffered from the further indignities of obscurity and insult. Bethlehem was little known town, the stable was an undignified place, the manger was, to say the least, crude. Added is the insult of relatives in Bethlehem who did not show compassion on the poor travelers and expecting mother.

4. He was utterly dependent - The sovereign Creator, upon whom all creation depends, was himself made dependent upon Mary & Joseph. He who was used to the service of angels was at the mercy of new parents.

5. He suffered the extremities of infancy - Catholic dogma says that Christ retained the reason of a grown man from infancy. But this is not true. He grew in wisdom & stature. More than that, He suffered from the first hour the new experiences of humanity: hunger, neglect, fatigue, grief, etc.

6. His infancy was filled with accentuated agonies - The conditions surrounding his birth were filled with adversity, adding to his difficulties. He felt the pricks of hay for bedding, endured the pains of an unhospitable manger, and was threatened with death by Herod.

7. He subjected himself to the law - He who was the very Lawgiver, Lord, and Judge put himself under the law. It was not just to live by it as a rule--for he already did this by nature. Rather, he came under the curse of it. He came into this world to fulfill its stipulations for others. In sum, He was born to die.

​This documentary on Netflix about lying and deceitful habits is quite intriguing. It expresses well that all men lie (profusely!). It also is interesting to see the rationalizations that lie behind the act of lying and the different avenues that encourage people in their lies.

However, the flick has a glaring mistake: it denies that men are inherently evil. The producers are themselves self deceived because they proclaim that man is basically good. It should be obvious by their own overwhelming data that prolific liars like us are not intrinsically good (or even “basically” good). It is amazing that the video time and again say how bad lying is, yet will not admit the radical depravity that induces it.

It is interesting too that it highlights the use of God’s law as a civil restraint upon society. One part of their study has people recite the 10 commandments before taking the lie test. This recitation curbed immoral choices COMPLETELY, even among atheists and people of other religious adherence.

Unfortunately, as behaviorists (who think man is merely an animal who can be manipulated by mere environmental change) they believe they have the power to change men and manufacture a utopian society where cheating is virtually vanquished. This is perhaps their greater deception. It is the chief lie, for it indicates that they believe themselves to be God.

Man is not a mere animal. We are spiritual creatures who need moral/spiritual restoration. Only the Lord can fix the heart.

The care of the poor –Deacons are primarily charged with the ministry of mercy, which occurs both within and without the boundaries of the local church to which they belong. The relief of congregation members is primary. Yet, when there is none (or are few) who need assistance within the church, the deacons should be employed in bringing relief to the community at large, that those outside the church may feel the power of Christian love and saving effects of the gospel. Moreover, deacons are to aid in the assistance of other churches, even those in different regions of the world as is evidenced by Paul’s collection for Jerusalem (2 Cor.8-9).

The broader support of the afflicted, sick, and weakThe deacons assist by moral support, encouragements, visits, and the like to those who are in need of such. While the elders, as shepherds of God’s flock, ought to minister the word and pray with/for such, the deacons may demonstrate their ministration of mercy by coordinating more frequent expressions of friendship, courtesy and temporal care.

These courtesies may also include transportation, facilitating fellowship for shut ins, provisions made for education of young people who may be in need of it, etc.

The care of the church’s property and financesBuilding, grounds, equipment, janitorial needs, collections/accountings, community benevolence.

The recruiting of members’ involvement in works of mercy and serviceThe deacons seek to enlist others from the local fellowship to assist them and dutifully employ them in the above mentioned duties

Usual Diaconal Committees As the deacons must execute their duties in a timely manner, it may require separate teams be created. The creation of committees is thus wise. The following composes an ordinary distribution of duties:

This week the Supreme Court began hearings on the case of Christian baker Jack Philips. Since it is back in the public eye we are are once again being inundated with arguments to support same sex marriage.

Let's examine their rationale and see how none of the reasons should be influential for us as Christians.​1. It's LOVE! The world today has a radical misconception of what love is and what kinds of things you can love. Love is not to be defined as a feeling, romantic desire, erotic impulse, or even zealous, long lasting commitment to another.

Love is only to be defined by God and His law. The Lord alone, who himself is the embodiment of Love, tells us what we are to love and how that love is to manifests itself. In the case of homosexual marriage, it is a misplaced 'affection' and a perversion of how love is to be expressed.

2. They are consenting adults! Mutual agreement can be a good thing, but we need to recognize that consent of involved parties does not make an action right or wrong.

We must keep in mind that God's approval is what matters most. If God is against it, it doesn't matter how many people may concur with a decision. Even if the Supreme Court ends up offering up its unanimous consent, it is still wrong.

3. It's a committed / monogamous relationship - In a day where most change lovers as often as they change their clothes, it is almost refreshing to hear people talk about monogamy. But we shouldn't be fooled - homosexuals rarely are monogamous. We know that one perversion usually is followed by another, and studies have shown this to be true in the case of homosexuality.

But even in the rare instance where monogamy may be practiced, it still doesn't constitute a lawful marriage. God not only requires singular devotion, He also requires two people of the opposite sex: a male & female.

4. It doesn't hurt anyone - This tag is bandied about regularly and loosely. And, as you may have guessed by now, harm (or lack of it) does not constitute lawfulness in and of itself. God's Word is to be the final authority in all matters of life and faith.

But Christians shouldn't be fooled by this innocent sounding declaration. We know that the wages of sin is death. Sin always has consequences. And those who embrace sinful lifestyles not only harm themselves, but they also inflict harm on those around them.

The effects of homosexuality are rabid, starting with the decreased life span and increased sickliness of those who practice such things. It also has ramifications for children of such couples and has destructive social implications too (including financial burdens, political fallout, etc).

5. You can't legislate morality - Well, what else is there to legislate then? Such a declaration is a complete misnomer because morality is exactly what is under the government's particular scrutiny. The civil magistrate was instituted by God for the expressed purpose of maintaining a just and orderly society. It is God's expressed agent in punishing the evildoer and exacting His vengeance in cases of criminal offense. (Rom. 13)

Moreover, if morality can't be legislated, why was Jack Philips (and others like him) were taken to court in the first place?

If the present SCOTUS case tells us anything, it isn't that we cannot legislate morality. The real issue is, "Which morality do we legislate?"

This case is a simple reminder that all nations are inherently religious and their laws reflect the god of the land. Since this is so, let us pray that God might be honored and our land might be granted true revival.

___________________________This article appeared in the Hopewell Weekly, the weekly e-newsletter of Hopewell Church. Subscribe below to stay up to date on teachings, church events, and prayer requests.

Tis the season! Christmas is upon us and the New Year is dawning. It is a great time for a last ditch effort to contact all those who have visited the church over the course of the year.

​Sending out Christmas cards is a perfect way to remind those visitors of your existence and provide a gospel resource for their spiritual nurture.

I began by ordering some cheap Christmas cards off of amazon. Almost 40 cards can be purchased for under $10. For this occasion ​I chose cards with a nice picture on the front and blank inside. I then designed a simple, gospel based greeting on my computer and ran them through my printer. I added a seasonal Bible verse and simple message. In years past I put the church’s logo on it. This year I chose to say, “Merry Christmas from the Hopewell Church family.”

After they were printed I then added a personal, hand written message. It was just two quick lines that spoke of the gospel and expressed that they were in my prayers.​

As an added feature this year I included a special gift with the card. Earlier in the year I had created an ebook on the end times. I had converted the eschatology chapter of Louis Berkhof’s Summary of Christian Doctrine to a sleek ebook that helped to link readers back to our church’s social media outlets. Since it deals with Christ’s second coming it fit perfect with the Advent season.

Again, this was put together on my computer. I created a little document that resembled a small gift certificate. I then placed a QR code on it which served as the link to the ebook (which was hosted on our website). When the QR code is scanned, the ebook automatically downloads to the reader’s device.

This little slip of paper was then folded and inserted into each of the Christmas cards.

All in all, each person who visited received a gospel centered Christmas card along with a personalized message and solid discipleship resource. They were reminded of our interest in them and given another encouragement to attend again. Best of all the total cost with postage was less than $25.

A friend commented that the Christian bakers should have gone the extra mile and baked two cakes for the homosexuals who wanted to be married. My response? Well... it went something like this...

We should also sell guns to murderers, saute our neighbor for cannibals, give taxi rides for thieves on their heist, offer knives to abortionists, sell dogs to those involved in beastiality.

I think you get my point. A homosexual wedding is a direct violation of God's law. To support it in any way is to be guilty in it. You become an accomplice and advocate. A Christian has more than a freedom to abstain, he has a moral duty.

That is why the bakers are being forced to submit. They MUST support and be a promoter. They are not allowed to not back the wickedness. No one is allowed freedom of conscience in the matter. They may not in any way say that this act is wrong.

Marriage is the uniting of two sinners. As sinners, they by nature repel one another. We are inclined to break out against one another and there is a sense in which marriages are doomed from the beginning.

This is why all couples must look unto Christ and submit unto Him. It is only a miracle of God's grace that can weld these two differing forces together. The Spirit of God is the only power that can overcome the rebelling forces of the human heart and allow a couple to dwell together in happiness for the extent of their days.